WHEATFIELD, N.Y. (WKBW) — Friday marked the final day that the Whistling Straights neighborhood in Wheatfield will receive daily mail deliveries. Now, Congressman Tim Kennedy is introducing federal legislation to fix the issue.
Until early this summer, the roughly 40 neighbors on Piedmont Street and Squire Drive had to drive a mile to PO boxes they paid for at the Sanborn Post Office.
After two years of using the PO boxes, the US Postal Service started curbside delivery in their neighborhood for the first time.
However, just a few weeks later, neighbors received a letter from the USPS’ New York 3 District manager, Roselle Murrell. She said that the local postmaster made a mistake and lacked the authority to change delivery modes, and as a result, their brand-new curbside deliveries would end August 28.
“In an inexcusable display of mismanagement, the Postal Service rescinded that decision earlier this summer, leaving families to deal with the consequences of USPS’s incompetency,” Kennedy said to me in a written statement.
Kennedy has told me that when the US House of Representatives reconvenes next week, he plans to introduce legislation to fix this problem.
“My bill will require USPS to restore curbside mail delivery to the residents of Whistling Straits and ensure these families receive the same practical, reliable service as their neighbors,” Kennedy said.
The Postal Service said the neighborhood must install an approved centralized delivery receptacle to receive delivery service after Friday. It also echoed that the decision to deliver curbside was a mistake.
USPS Statement:
“A recent change to curbside delivery was made in error. The Postal Service is therefore requiring centralized delivery to remain consistent with established standards and practices. We apologize for any misunderstanding or inconvenience this transition may cause and appreciate our customers’ patience and cooperation.”
In late July, neighbors said they put in their own mailboxes at their own expense, thinking that this problem was solved.
WATCH: 'We want mail': USPS overturns decision to deliver in Wheatfield neighborhood
“Mine personally cost $500. It’s not a big fancy mailbox,” Robert Shilen said. “But now I have a brand-new mailbox, and it's worthless again.”
“These residents have spent years asking for nothing more than equal treatment. They should not have to keep fighting their own government to receive basic services that their tax dollars support. USPS had an opportunity to do the right thing," Kennedy said. "Instead, it doubled down on a decision rooted in its own admitted failure. I will work to secure passage of my legislation and ensure that the residents of Whistling Straits get the service they deserve and accountability they have been demanding.”
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